We Always Find Our Way Back
by BregoArodShadowfax
Summary: "If it were me, and I was in your position, I wouldn't let something that makes me happy slip away because it might hurt my pride to admit it." Two years apart shouldn't change anything. At least, that's what he keeps telling himself. ZoSan.


**Title:**We Always Find Our Way Back  
**Author:**AoiTsukikage  
**Rating:**NC-17  
**Characters/Pairing:**ZoSan  
**Chapters:**1/1  
**Word Count:**6207  
**Spoilers: **Not really for recent chapters, this slots in somewhere between Punk Hazard and Dressrosa.  
**Summary: **"If it were me, and I was in your position, I wouldn't let something that makes me happy slip away because it might hurt my pride to admit it." Two years apart shouldn't change anything. At least, that's what he keeps telling himself. ZoSan.

**We Always Find Our Way Back**

"Don't spend more than your share and be back by midday tomorrow because we need to get going. And _don't _think of asking me for more money because that's not happening," Nami's rules are the same as always, but Sanji can listen to her talk all day because even when doling out threats the melodious sound of her voice is like music to his ears.

"Yeah, yeah," Zoro, the ungrateful lout, is standing with his arms crossed, staring out at the horizon. The island they've docked at is sub-tropical, the breeze especially warm after the long cold of Punk Hazard, and from what they can see the locals are friendly and there's no Marine base in sight.

Which is good, because Sanji's had about enough of running and fighting for a while, and even one night off where he can do a little shopping to calm his nerves is a pleasant thought. They're low on supplies after having to feed all of the children and the Marine unit, after all, so this stop was needed.

He's sure Chopper needs medical things and Franky probably needs to pick up some spare parts for ship repairs; Usopp's always tinkering with some new invention or other and Robin will head to the nearest book-shop to read up about the history of the region. Luffy…well, he doesn't get any money because Nami doesn't trust him, Brook's volunteered to keep watch of the ship (and Caesar, even though in his current state the scientist is hardly a threat) and Zoro will either blow his cash on booze or a brothel.

Which stings, a little bit, even though Sanji refuses to let the thought linger very long, but there's no denying before their group split up for those two years a stopover at an island meant a hotel room and a night of frantic fucking in relative privacy and now…that's obviously not happening.

Feh. Who cares. Not like he wants it anyway.

"Brook, you're sure you're fine manning the ship by yourself?" Nami looks at the skeleton, who tilts his head to the side. "I'm sure one of us will come back to help if you need it…"

"It will give me some time to compose," Brook waves his bony hands and clasps them together, seemingly excited at the prospect. "Don't worry about me."

"Okay," she nods and turns to the other three members of their little group, Momonosuke immediately turning into a dragon at the look in her eyes before she softens her features and leans down to talk to him. "Stay safe. You can go wherever you want, I don't think you'll be in any danger here, but don't look for trouble, okay?"

"O-okay," he reverts to his human form, clutching at his father's arm, but Sanji isn't particularly worried about them, all things considered.

"This island seems fairly innocuous, and truly that's not uncommon," Law, for his part, is apparently attempting to go for 'inconspicuous' (that is, he's taken his hat off and donned a pair of sunglasses and his crew's jolly roger isn't visible on any of his clothing), but he can't exactly cover up his tattoos and he refuses to leave that damn sword behind for even a moment. Sanji's pretty sure he can take care of himself, although being a Warlord means he's even more well-known than Luffy.

Still, nobody's going to expect him to show up on a random island somewhere between Punk Hazard and Dressrosa, so that might work in their favour.

"There are a lot of tiny islands in the new world that are too insignificant to be bothered with by either pirates or the government, and the citizens can live in relative peace. So long as we don't alert the outside world to our presence, I don't foresee any difficulties in staying here overnight," he continues, and Luffy seems to take this as some sort of cue since he launches himself off of the ship with a joyous shout, Nami raising a hand to yell after him but dropping it in defeat a moment later.

"Anyway, have fun, relax, get what you need, and I'll see you tomorrow," she claps her hands in clear dismissal and Sanji tears his eyes away from her reluctantly, counting out the money (she's always generous to him because she knows that having a well-stocked pantry and fridge is essential) and setting aside a small amount for cigarettes and maybe a new shirt or tie, if this island has any penchant for fashion at all.

The sun is shining, the winds are calm, the sky is blue and cloudless, there's sure to be a bounty of fresh ingredients to purchase. It's a perfect day, and he's going to take full advantage of it.

000

The selection is even better than he could have imagined. The climate of the island is perfect for growing tropical fruit and the number of different types of seafood is making his mouth water. He picks up a couple bottles of decent-quality sake (unless he wants to heavily invest in floral-print shirts it doesn't pay to spend his money on clothing here after all) and buys enough cigarettes to get him to the next island. There's enough money left for meals and maybe a night at the inn if it's not too expensive, but then, he can always head back to the ship if he really can't afford it.

He passes by Nami and Robin on the way back to drop off his supplies, the navigator with her arms full of purchases that seem to be half clothing and half mapmaking supplies, and Robin, as predicted, is carrying a couple of books, although both of them gladly hand their purchases over when he offers to take them to the ship (Usopp and Chopper decide to join the party, too, but he flatly tells them to carry their own shit).

He tries to invite them both for lunch but Nami laughs and gives him some excuse about 'girl time' even though, well, he can't say he didn't try, and he heads back to the Sunny with all of their bags in order to get the fish refrigerated before it starts to spoil.

Brook is indeed sitting on the deck, playing a rather sad melody on his violin, but he nods to Sanji as he passes and the cook gratefully escapes into the relative coolness of the galley, humming to himself while putting the food away, and then darting quickly into Nami and Robin's room to leave their purchases on the bed (he's rather proud of himself that he didn't even feel tempted to look through their clothing trunks this time around).

"You want me to take a turn at the watch?" he asks Brook on his way back, but the skeleton assures him he's fine and continues playing, so Sanji sheds his suit jacket (it's really getting hot the closer it gets to midday) and tosses it back into the galley, striding down the pier with his hands in his pockets and deciding it might be a good idea to seek out some lunch.

Asking around gets him almost unanimously directed to a small bistro-like place with a patio overlooking a long dock, and the long line-up seems to be a testament to how popular the little café is with the lunch crowd. There are few seats to spare, and he takes to looking for a table with an empty chair that he might be able to snag, until he notices Law in a back corner of the deck area, the locals seemingly giving him a wide berth (although whether that was because he was a stranger or because they knew who he was, was hard to say).

And it's not that Sanji doesn't like Law, because he does, for the most part. The other man is intelligent and crafty and resourceful, and for all he keeps his emotions held tight to his chest he isn't a bad sort, really, so Sanji doesn't feel any apprehension about joining him.

Law tilts his head to the side when Sanji sits down, but his sunglasses make it impossible to tell what he's thinking and neither of them speaks to the other until they place their orders, Sanji deciding to try one of the species of fish he'd picked up at the market to maybe get an idea of the best way of cooking it and to see what flavors best complemented it.

"Nice place," he says after a while, awkward because he isn't exactly that good at talking to other men in the first place (at least, usually not without a lot of snarking and cursing, although he thinks maybe he's improving at that, too).

"It is. A little too laid back for my tastes, but it _is _nice to settle down for a short time," Law speaks softly, his voice betraying nothing of how he truly feels about the situation, but Sanji notices that his shoulders are relaxed and he does seem more at ease than normal. "Find anything good at the market?"

"Yeah, I think we'll be good on supplies for a while," Sanji replies, lighting a fresh cigarette and blowing some smoke into the air.

"I suppose I don't need to tell you that those will kill you," Law's not really looking in his direction and Sanji chuckles, taking a slow drag before letting the smoke out.

"Heh, with the life I lead, dying because I smoke too much is about the least of my worries," he leans back in his chair, the cigarette dangling from his fingers now. "I just want to live long enough to reach my dream."

"And what's that?

"Finding All Blue," he sighs. "I know it's not…looking for a legendary treasure like Luffy's, or being the best at something like that shitty Marimo's_, _or even seeking knowledge like Robin-chan's, but it's…that's what I want more than anything," he knows that to somebody like Law it will probably seem silly, but Law doesn't look patronizing at all.

"As a chef, it makes perfect sense," he says instead, and Sanji's grateful to him for it.

"And you? Looking for the One Piece?" Sanji assumes that's what Law's eventual goal is, after all, even though at the moment he seems to have a massive chip on his shoulder that's skewing his logic a bit.

"Maybe one day. Right now, there's something much more important I need to do. Although whether it can be called a 'dream' is debateable; more like a promise I've tasked myself to fulfill," his tone is dark and there's something almost menacing in his voice that makes Sanji want to avoid any further conversation on the topic.

The waiter coming back with the wine he's ordered interrupts them regardless, and he accepts it with a nod of thanks and thinks that he could gladly stay more than one day on this island. He's just setting the glass down when a flash of very distinct green catches his eye and he turns his head to look, seeing Zoro a couple of buildings over.

The swordsman is following another man, the path they're on mostly obscured except to people sitting on the bistro patio who happen to be looking in exactly the right direction, and Sanji watches the other man lead Zoro into the back door of a rather inconspicuous-looking place, but he _knows _what it is and when he looks down he's gripping the edge of the table so hard his knuckles are turning white.

"You have problems with his…choice of bed partners?" One of Law's eyebrows is raised and _of course _he would understand, too, but Sanji isn't sure how to reply without giving away entirely too much (although, knowing Law, he's figured it out already).

"Nah, he can fuck whoever he wants," he tries to sound unconcerned but his hand is shaking a little when he picks up the wine glass, not even the fruity burn of the rather excellent alcohol calming his nerves. Why does he care so much, anyway?

"But you'd prefer it was you."

Right. That's why.

"Shitty bastard," he gulps about half of the wine, gasping as it slides down his throat, and when he looks up Law's face is still impassive but he doesn't look disgusted (not that he'd show it even if he did, most likely).

"I'm not going to judge you. I'm not...that concerned with pleasures of the flesh myself, but far be it for me to let who a person is sleeping with affect my perception of them. Although," he adds thoughtfully, "it's clearly affecting you in some way. I may not be the most sympathetic pair of ears on this island, but for what it's worth, I'm willing to listen."

"There's not much to tell. Before our crew split up two years ago, he and I would…whenever we made landfall, usually, because it's hard to get any privacy on the ship as it is, and I guess I'd just assumed we'd fall back into it. But he hasn't said anything and I'm not gonna bring it up," he adds, knowing how childish it sounds even as the words leave his mouth.

"Because it would hurt more to hear him say 'no' than it does to just imagine that he will," Law's too damn smart and it's annoying at this point, but Sanji can only nod. "I know I'm not the best person to give advice on feelings or emotions because, admittedly, I hide mine almost all the time, but…"

"Hey, if you're not judging, neither am I," Sanji assures him, although part of him _does _want to know but right now it's not really a priority.

"Fair enough. Well, the way I see it, it's eating you up to worry about it when a simple question will get you an answer one way or the other. It might not be the one you want, but then, there's a chance it could be. You have to decide for yourself if that's a risk you want to take, Mr. Blackleg," he murmurs, and hearing it laid out like that makes him feel even more foolish although, well, he'd known it all along.

He's saved by the waiter coming to deliver their food, and the smell is mouth-watering enough that he can't wait to taste it. Law's gotten what looks like some sort of seafood hot pot and it reminds Sanji of something he's been meaning to ask.

"Before I forget, is there anything special you want me to pick up from the market before we take off from here? I know what everybody on the crew likes, but you're gonna be with us for a while yet and I want you to enjoy what you're eating," he adds, Law's head snapping up like he's never been asked his preference on anything before, and he shrugs his thin shoulders in response.

"Whatever's fine."

"Come on, nobody's _that _accommodating. I'm a cook, Law, and I'm going to make damn sure everybody that eats my food is liking it as much as they possibly can," he knows that Law probably isn't threatened by him but it feels good to assert some authority regardless.

"I don't like bread," Law says suddenly, his body language reading a little surprised that he'd even let that much slip. "And, ah, I'm not too fond of pickled plums. But if you've gotten a lot of fish that's what I'd prefer regardless," he adds, Sanji smirking to himself because hey, the other man _does _have opinions on things as trivial as food, and that's good to know.

"Rice is fine?"

"Yes, other starches aren't a problem, but don't go out of your way…"

"It's fine, I'll grab an extra bag of rice before we set sail. It keeps better than bread anyway so it's good to have on hand," he finally digs into the fish then, finding it perfectly cooked and flaking beautifully under his fork. The flavor of it is delicate, not especially briny, and it's accented rather simply with a hint of acid from some sort of citrus fruit and a few different mild herbs.

"Is it up to your standard?" Law asks after a few moments, and Sanji nods.

"More than. I wish we could spend a few more days here so I could try some more of the local cuisine, but I guess we're in a hurry, huh?" he knows the answer to that but the way Law furrows his brow at the words only confirms it.

They finish their meals in relative silence, although it's comfortable, and as Sanji leaves some money on the table and stands up Law tilts his head to the side and mentions idly, "If it were me, and I was in your position, I wouldn't let something that makes me happy slip away because it might hurt my pride to admit it."

Sanji isn't sure how to respond to that, because of course he knows what Law's talking about, so he raises a hand and says, "I'll see you tomorrow on the ship," before walking off.

He doesn't have to see the knowing smirk on Law's face to know that it's there.

000

He sees Zoro again when he's heading back with the rice, and maybe the fact that he drops the bag right on the swordsman's stomach (he's sleeping, of course, with a half-empty bottle of sake beside him) says that he's not really as in control of his emotions as he's convinced himself of being, but well, it feels justified.

"What the hell?!" Zoro springs awake, hand moving to the hilt of his katana on instinct, and he blinks up at Sanji blearily before sighing. "Oh. 's just you. What d'you want, shit-cook?"

"Some of us have actually spent the day doing things to ensure the survival of those on-board the ship, asshole," he mutters. "So while you've been busy getting drunk and…" he stops, the next words catching in his throat, and shakes his head to cover his stumble. "Anyway, pick that up and carry it for me. We're going to the hotel."

He stalks away, lighting a cigarette, and to Zoro's credit he doesn't complain, merely hefting the large bag and slumping along after him, sake bottle dangling from his free hand. He knows by now when Sanji's in a foul enough mood not to mess with him, and the cook knows that the vibes coming off of him at the moment are damn near murderous.

The only inn in town is, like almost every other public business, overlooking the harbor, and inquiring at the front desk reveals that there's a couple of one-bed rooms available so he books one for the night, accepting the key from the rather motherly-looking woman handling check-ins and heading up to the second floor with Zoro still scowling behind him.

"Just drop it anywhere," he says once they've gotten into the room, and it's so familiar that it smacks him with a keen sense of longing and nostalgia that he angrily shoves out of his memory. "And you can leave if you want."

"Who pissed in your breakfast?" Zoro grunts, placing the bag beside the door. Sanji ignores him in favor of looking out the window, onto the modestly-sized balcony and the sea beyond. The room he's got is west-facing and he's sure the sunset will be glorious later, but that's the last thing on his mind right now.

"Why do you care?" he snaps, hearing Zoro sigh and the distinct 'clink' of him setting his katana down.

"I don't. But it's still weird that you're on an island with pretty girls and lots of seafood and you're acting like it's the end of the world," he says, which certainly makes it _sound _like he cares (and, in truth, isn't really an answer) but obviously that's not the case. "So?"

"It's nothing. I've just been running around all day, unlike you who's apparently had time to get drunk and visit the local brothel," he snarls and oh, there is it, and Zoro's response to that is to _laugh, _the bastard, so Sanji snaps his foot up, glaring when Zoro blocks it with a simple raise of his forearm. "Just leave me alone."

"Is that what this is about?" Zoro shifts his arm to grab Sanji's ankle, his hand nearly closing around it (and yeah, he's bulked up a little bit in the last couple of years, but he's still relatively scrawny and Zoro's always been stronger than him). "What? You suddenly against sex or something? Because I remember a couple of years ago you were spreading your legs like a…"

Sanji drops to the floor, leg still extended in Zoro's grasp, but he's got enough leverage to push himself off with his hands and swing his other leg around, ramming it into Zoro's side and making him stumble enough that he can jerk his trapped foot free.

"Don't fucking finish that sentence," his voice is shaky with rage, hands clenched at his sides, and Zoro is looking at him in something that's a little too close to shock. "Obviously you don't want that anymore, so don't try to shame me for it by bringing it up."

"_Who says I don't want it?"_ Zoro looks like he regrets the words a second after they leave his mouth, but he obviously can't take them back, and Sanji stares at him, blinking slowly, because…did he just…

"Maybe you should have thought of that before you fucked some random guy," most of the heat is gone from his voice and he reaches for another cigarette to calm him, fingers shaking too much to light it, so he settles for sticking it in the corner of his mouth and pursing his lips around it.

"I didn't," Zoro says slowly, earnestly, and Sanji looks at him carefully. "I didn't…I tried, but…"

"I couldn't even get that far," Sanji knows that admitting that much is a weakness, but dammit, as much as he doesn't want to admit it, what he and Zoro had had before the crew split up was more than just casual. Not that he _likes _the green-headed idiot or anything, of course not, but the sex had been good and maybe his body missed it. A little bit.

"Pretty pathetic, huh?" Zoro chuckles mirthlessly, scratching his head and crossing his arms. "So? Wanna go?"

"So uncouth," he mutters under his breath, tucking his unlit cigarette in his pocket and reaching to undo his tie. "Don't think this means anything."

"Don't worry, it doesn't," Zoro replies, and there's a familiar heat in his eyes that makes something warm uncurl in Sanji's gut, filling him with a mixture of apprehension and anticipation.

"Okay, then."

000

There are probably a million cheesy metaphors about what kissing somebody for the first time in a long time feels like, but nothing with Zoro is ever anything more than physical satiation even though, he supposes, there's really no need to kiss at _all _if that's the case.

Zoro kisses like one would expect him to, confident and lacking any sort of finesse but seemingly driven to turn it into a fight that he needs to win. Sanji's got a hand clamped around the back of his neck, fingers kneading at his skin and trying to slow him down a little because for somebody that had been content to sleep the day away in a drunken haze, he's remarkably eager.

"When's the last time you…" Zoro moves back to ask, something in his remaining eye that looks almost worried for what the answer is, and Sanji shakes his head and kisses him again to cover up how much he _wants _that concern to be for him.

"You know," he says instead, pulling back and burying his face in Zoro's neck. The other man always smells of sword-oil and spice and something utterly, completely _masculine, _and while normally Sanji's turned off by people who don't shower on a daily basis, Zoro's kind of an exception to every rule he has.

"Yeah? Me, too," the other man assures him, hands clamping on his hips now in a move that's far too familiar, and Sanji tightens his arms around Zoro's shoulders.

"Fuck me already."

"D'you have any…y'know…" Zoro sounds awkward now and Sanji laughs quietly at that.

"You're the one who was at a brothel. Did you seriously leave without picking something up?"

"So what if I did?" Zoro's suddenly defensive again and Sanji realizes why, because if he'd left without intending to have sex with anybody there but still managed to grab lube, that meant…

A smile curls his lips up and he runs his hand down Zoro's chest, blinking up at him. "So we were both too damn stubborn to admit this was what we wanted all along," he holds his palm over Zoro's heart, staring at his pale fingers against the other man's darker skin, and thinks about how _lucky _he is to still have this when for a while he'd despaired about ever seeing anybody from his old crew again.

"I'll get the…yeah…" Zoro's voice is scratchy so obviously he's been feeling more sentimental than usual as well, but Sanji lets him go instead of teasing him about it.

There's always time for that later.

000

"I'm not made of fucking glass!"

…Although right now he's rather close to losing whatever mood they've built up and resisting the urge to kick Zoro in the head.

"Hey, it's been over two years, and I'm not gonna enjoy it if you're in pain the whole time," Zoro replies, fingers still moving too slowly as Sanji tries to fuck himself back on them. "Just lemme do this right, shit-cook, and stop squirming!"

Sanji relents a little, one leg hooked around Zoro's waist, and throws an arm over his eyes because Zoro's right, damn him. He knows it'll be painful to rush it, and it might hurt a little anyway after so long without it, but Zoro's being almost _gentle _and that's just…weird.

"Hey," Zoro murmurs, nudging at his arm, and Sanji flops it off to the side to let Zoro kiss him.

It's almost…tender, slow like nearly everything else has been, and a part of him wonders if dropping the pretenses and just…going with it for one night would be so horrible.

Because of course he doesn't hate Zoro…far from it…he trusts him with not only his life, but the lives of all of the rest of the crew, and he knows that despite his faults Zoro has so many redeeming qualities. Sometimes it still scares him how willing he was to give up his life to save Zoro's way back on Thriller Bark, but at the same time, he knew that if he was put in that position again he'd do the same thing.

"I kinda missed this," Zoro says calmly, but Sanji hears 'I kinda missed _you' _and he strokes his fingers through Zoro's hair, running down over the scar on his eye as Zoro raises his free hand to clasp Sanji's against his cheek. "You don't…"

"You're butt-ugly as it is. Missing an eye isn't going to change that," he snorts, which earns him a grin, and that seems to break the tension entirely. "As long as your dick's still intact I think we're gonna be just fine."

"You know it is," Zoro finally seems to decide he's done enough preparation and slides his fingers out, moving to brace his hand under Sanji's back and making him raise his hips. "Do you, um, wanna ride me, or…"

"Like this," Sanji decides instantly, because it'll be better to ease back into it this way, and Zoro seems to understand, hitching Sanji's leg up higher. Sanji can feel the head of the other man's (impressive, he'll admit) cock nudge his entrance and he wills his body to relax, breathing out slowly through his nose and letting his muscles go limp as Zoro pushes forward with just enough force to keep him moving all the way.

And it's not painful, not really, but it's a sensation that he's going to have to get used to again so he keeps his breathing even, his fingers clutching at Zoro's shoulder probably hard enough to bruise although the other man doesn't complain, and he finally lets his breath out fully when he feels Zoro's hips nudge against his ass. "Okay?" Zoro's voice trembles a little and Sanji nods because he doesn't trust his _own _voice right then.

Zoro, thankfully, doesn't keep questioning him and instead starts to move, a little jerky and tentative at first, but he soon falls into a rhythm and Sanji lets his grip on the other man relax a little, tipping his head back and gasping when Zoro's mouth latches onto his throat.

"Fuck, Zoro…" he gasps out, heel digging into the other man's back and a whine slipping from his throat as he tries to match the swordsman's pace and move with him.

It doesn't take long, their bodies synchronizing with each other remarkably easily for how long it's been, and he's clinging to Zoro with all his strength, trying to claw his way closer as Zoro abandons his neck and kisses him on the mouth again.

He lets himself get lost in the rocking of their bodies, in the harsh pants of breath shared between them, in the way Zoro's not breaking eye contact now and he feels like his soul is laid bare in those few long moments.

"Sanji…_shit…" _

"Y-yeah," Sanji knows he should probably look into what it means that, nine times out of ten, the _only _time Zoro will call him by name is when they're fucking, but he can't be bothered to care right now. "A-are you…"

"Mm. Sorry. Been…too long."

He can tell Zoro's trying to drag it out and while he appreciates the thought, it's been just as long for him and right now he doesn't care how fast it is because he's pretty sure it's not going to be the last time. "Touch me," he growls out, Zoro complying almost instantly, wrapping a hand around his cock and jerking him off clumsily but _any _little bit of friction is going to do the job at the moment.

"Tell me when…tell me when you're…" Zoro pants out, forehead resting against Sanji's shoulder now as he keeps his hips and hand moving and Sanji grits his teeth and throws his head back, letting everything wash over him until it feels like he's drowning in it.

"I…I'm close, I…I just…"

Zoro seems to understand, somehow, and flicks his wrist in a way that Sanji's completely unprepared for.

"_Fuck!" _he yells loud enough for probably the whole damn hotel to hear, and he feels Zoro's entire body tense up but everything after that is lost in the rush of orgasm, slamming into him so hard he can barely breathe, and a split second realization of _how much he'd missed this _zips through his mind before he stops thinking altogether.

000

"So now what?"

"Hmm?" Sanji's half-propped up against the headboard, blanket pulled to his waist and customary post-coital cigarette in his mouth, and a look down at Zoro reveals that the other man is still strangely serious. "What about what?"

"This. Us. Are we really gonna pretend this doesn't mean anything?" Zoro frowns, like he's afraid that maybe it _doesn't, _but Sanji reaches to lightly slide his fingers over Zoro's shoulder and hopes that reassures him enough.

"Of course it does. Nothing has to change, but maybe it won't hurt us to admit that we're…faithful to each other. Sexually," he adds, because it's probably impossible for him to stop flirting with women, but that's as far as it's ever gone and, truthfully, probably as far as it ever will. "Besides, I think we've naïve to pretend nobody on the crew knows about…us. At least, I'm fairly sure Nami-san and Robin-chan and probably Usopp do."

"Yeah, true enough," Zoro stretches and rolls onto his side, looking up at Sanji. "You're still annoying, though."

"And you're still ugly, so there's no change there," Sanji smiles around the cigarette in his mouth, the teasing completely good-natured now even as Zoro shoves at his hip. "Hey," he runs his hand through Zoro's hair, hearing the other man sigh at the touch, and thinks that this strange, easy peace between them is kind of comforting. "You, um, want to stay the night?"

"Yeah. That'd be nice," Zoro admits, and they've never done _this,_ at least. Sometimes they might have fallen asleep together if they were both exhausted enough, but it's never been a conscious _choice _and that's…there's something that feels pretty significant about the distinction.

"Okay," he says in reply, not needing to make a bigger deal out of it than that. "What about dinner? I can go grab some room service if you're hungry," he knows that's probably being excessively kind, but well, it's food, and he doesn't trust Zoro to bring back anything that's worthy of his sensitive palate.

"In a bit," Zoro shrugs. "Although I _am_ kinda hungry, I just had sake for lunch."

"Predictable. I'll go see what they have," he brushes his fingers through Zoro's hair again, the other man's eye fluttering shut at the touch, and gets out of bed to get re-dressed. He's a little sore, and it'll probably be worse in the morning, but it's nothing he can't handle. "Although if the food here's as good as it is in that little café I had lunch at, I'll be satisfied."

"Oh," Zoro sits up a little, gaze averted. "So that's how you…I was wondering how you knew I'd gone into the brothel. That path was pretty well-hidden," he explained.

"Yeah, I was…pissed is an understatement, probably, but Law kind of set me straight," he sees no harm in saying that much.

"You had lunch with _Law?"_

"Hey, don't judge, Marimo. He's actually a decent guy," he pulls his pants on and reaches for his shirt, sliding it over his shoulders and working on the buttons.

"I know Luffy trusts him but I can't…fully…yet. But I guess, in the end, I'd rather have him on our side than against us, because that Devil Fruit of his is damn strong," he grins then, because of course Zoro bases a lot of his respect on strength, but Sanji can't fault him for it.

He finishes up his shirt and adjusts the collar, working his fingers through his hair to make it a little more presentable. "How do I look?"

"Same as always," Zoro's predictably unhelpful and Sanji swats at his leg on the way by, a little shocked when Zoro grabs his hand to keep him there. "Hey. Are you freaking out?"

"A little. Maybe. Are you?"

"Less than I thought I'd be," Zoro says slowly. "Like you said, nothing's really gonna change, so there's no reason to act like it is."

Sanji sometimes wondered what it would be like to have a mind that compartmentalized everything so neatly into black-and-white boxes instead of perpetual shades of gray and 'what-ifs' like his brain did a little too often, but in this case, it's probably the best approach to take.

No, he and Zoro are never going to be romantic, or hell, even _nice _to each other on a regular basis, but maybe when they're alone if they can start to let some of their walls come down it'll help them out in the long run.

He squeezes Zoro's hand in response, sliding his fingers out and moving toward the door, and realizes with a bit of a jolt that he's happier than he's been in a long time.

000

He wakes up to the sun shining through the open window, the sound of the sea and the distant cries of gulls easing him into alertness. He sighs, stretches, and wonders for a few seconds why there's an arm wrapped around his waist and a pair of legs tangled up with his before remembering last night, a slow smile curling his lips up when he does.

"Hey. Marimo, you awake?" he turns enough so that he can see Zoro, eye still closed and breathing evenly, and watches him for a while, blinking slowly.

"What time 's it?" Zoro finally slurs, not even bothering to look. He slings his arm tighter around Sanji and pulls him in, burying his nose in the cook's blond hair and sighing, and it's a strangely possessive action that Sanji would normally protest but, well, he's just too comfortable to bother right now.

"Early," he decides, glancing out at the sun again, and Zoro snuffles a little into his hair and sighs.

"Go back t' sleep. We've got time," the swordsman mutters, words already half-mumbled as he drops off again nearly instantly.

"Yeah. Okay," Sanji knows Zoro can't hear him, of course, but the concept of _time _is kind of a nice one now that it's seemingly on his side.

And, somewhere deep inside, he knows that he could get used to waking up like this all the time.

So he hopes, maybe one day, they'll get the chance to do just that.

**Notes:**

**1.** I have no idea where this came from, or how it got to be this long, but it's the longest thing I've finished in a while so I figured I should post it. Also I'm not a smut writer by any means so I'm sorry if that section is a little sub-par, but it felt necessary to include the sex with the flow of the fic. And, well, I'd apologize for the amount of Law in here, but I find him to be such a fascinating character so I won't ;) And the title of this fic comes from a line in the song 'We Are Stars' by _Virginia to Vegas, _which is one of my favorite songs at the moment.

**2. **Feedback is very much appreciated if you're so inclined! And if anybody's interested, I have a tumblr that's at kikokus (dot tumblr dot com) and it's completely One Piece so if you want to come and chat or whatever I'm definitely open to that!

**3. **Thanks for reading!


End file.
